New Delhi:
U.S. President Joe Biden praised local authorities for their swift action following an incident on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, one of the nation’s busiest arteries, which collapsed hours after it was hit by a large freighter. He also singled out the ship’s crew, most of whom were Indian.
“As everyone knows and has reported, the people on board were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel. As a result, local authorities were able to shut down the bridge before it could be removed from the attack, which undoubtedly saved lives,” Biden said in his speech.
“We are extremely grateful to the brave rescue workers who rushed to the scene immediately,” the US president added.
The Singapore-flagged container ship Dali was carrying cargo from Baltimore to Sri Lanka when it struck a concrete pier supporting Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday.
Within seconds, nearly the entire bridge collapsed and plunged into what officials said was about 50 feet of icy water.
Not long ago, the ship sent out a distress call warning that it had lost power, prompting authorities to urgently shut down traffic to the bridge, which could have saved lives.
CCTV footage showed the ship going dark twice in the minutes before the incident. A plume of smoke could also be seen before the collision.
While all 22 crew members were uninjured and their whereabouts are unknown, six maintenance personnel on the bridge are missing. They were part of a construction crew repairing potholes on the bridge, which collapsed around midnight.
Biden also announced that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
Asked why the federal government should be held liable if there was a chance the ship and its operator could be held liable, he said: “It could be, but we’re not going to wait for that to happen. We’re going to do that Pay the price to get reparations.” The bridge was rebuilt and opened. “
Authorities have closed the port “until further notice” and traffic is being diverted from the bridge as rescue efforts continue.
The landslide is expected to have a serious impact on the area. Traffic around Baltimore will be affected by the bridge collapse, while shipping could also experience lengthy delays as debris clogs waterways.
